Thread: Totohydra's A-Talk

TSP Gained in 2005; Expert Suggests Careful Look at C and G Funds

By Stephen Barr

Thursday, January 5, 2006; Page B02

The Thrift Savings Plan, where most federal employees go to build a retirement nest egg, finished on the upswing in 2005. Each of TSP's five funds showed gains.

The international stock index fund ended last year with a 13.63 percent rate of return. The index fund of small and medium-size company stocks showed a 10.45 percent gain.

The large common stock index fund posted a 4.96 percent return; the government securities fund was up 4.49 percent; and the bond index fund grew by 2.4 percent.

The stock indexes, though, did not perform as well as they did in 2004. Only the government securities fund, or G Fund, turned in a larger return in 2005. It had grown by 4.3 percent in 2004.

Numerous federal employees review their investments at this time of the year with an eye to improving their diversification and asset allocations.

Paul Yurachek , a financial adviser with Ameriprise Financial Advisers in Maryland, said federal employees should take a "good, hard look" at the G Fund and the common stock index fund (C Fund) that tracks the S&P 500. Investing in the G Fund will protect savings in a period of rising interest rates, while the C Fund should move upward if large company stocks perform well in the opening weeks of the year, Yurachek said.

TSP participants also will want to look over a relatively new addition to the program, the L Funds. They are shaped by professional managers who seek to increase savings while taking no more risk than necessary.

With L Funds, TSP participants select a fund that most closely meshes with the time that they expect to be drawing down their savings for retirement. Employees with many working years ahead of them see their L Fund shift from aggressive to conservative investments as they near the time they will start withdrawing money. Employees near retirement may choose a fund that minimizes stock holdings and market risks.

The TSP is offered to government employees, including military personnel, as a way to save for retirement and is similar to 401(k) plans offered by many companies. As of October, the TSP had more than 3.5 million participants and more than $166 billion in assets.

Originally Posted by Totohydra

Here's a question regarding the tracking spreadsheet:

As of Dec. 30 I have my allocations at C 20, S 50, and I 30. The share prices are already in the gray line at the top of the spreadsheet.

The only change I made was at the end of 1/3 (G 50, F 50).

My question: Do I fill out one or two lines on the spreadsheet. Just a little confused about how to get it started.


Also: What happened to tspmoney.com? They never posted the Tuesday results which is a first from what I've seen.

Totohydra, since you made a transfer on 1\3, simply input the fund prices for that day into the second line. When you switch out of 50G, 50F, you'll put that days prices on the next line.

So would this be right?

HTML Code:

2006 TSP Allocations and Returns
                                                                                                             Our        Our
                 Fund Price                      Fund Allocation (%)   Fund Returns - (Incr/Dec)      20%    Return     Return
Trans End Date	 G     F     C     S     I       G   F   C   S   I     G     F     C     S     I      Each   Period 	Year
      2005 Price 11.16 10.67 13.55 16.27 17.59	  	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 			
1     1/3/2006	 11.16 10.69 13.77 16.51 18.17   0%  0%  0%  35% 65%   0.00% 0.19% 1.62% 1.48% 3.30%  1.32%  2.66%	2.66%
2	 	 11.16 10.69 13.77 16.51 18.17   50% 50% 0%  0%  0%    0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%  0.00%  0.00%	2.66%

Actually I'm afraid it's more like this

HTML Code:

2006 TSP Allocations and Returns
                                                                                                             Our        Our
                 Fund Price                      Fund Allocation (%)   Fund Returns - (Incr/Dec)      20%    Return     Return
Trans End Date	 G     F     C     S     I       G   F   C   S   I     G     F     C     S     I      Each   Period 	Year
      2005 Price 11.16 10.67 13.55 16.27 17.59	  	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 			
1     1/3/2006	 11.16 10.69 13.77 16.51 18.17   50% 50% 0%  0%  0%    0.00% 0.19% 1.62% 1.48% 3.30%  1.32%  0.09%	0.09%

Looked up TSP on Wikipedia and noted that they contained details about L fund allocation.

L2040 - 5%G, 10%F, 42%C, 18%S, 25%I
L2030 - 16%G, 9%F, 38%C, 16%S, 21%I
L2020 - 27%G, 8%F, 34%C, 12%S, 19%I
L2010 - 43%G, 7%F, 27%C, 8%S, 15%I
L Income - 74% G, 6%F, 12%C, 3%S, 5%I

Each line contains a link to the corresponding data on tsp.gov (still have to log in). It's been on tsp.gov all this time I guess but I didn't know this until now.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrift_Savings_Plan

Totohydra:

I was looking at the picture of your spreadsheet you attached somewhere else and it seems that your openig the positions one day too early. Line 17 ( Trans 12) should read 35 g, 10 c, 40 s, 15 i (closing position) and line 18 (Trans 13) should have your new position of 26 c, 37 s , 37 i.

eg: The day you make a new IFT the share prices of that day should be in Trans 13 and in Trans 14 would have your new allocation.

Hope it helps.

Good luck

TSPGO!

Today's adjustment submitted just before noon.
G 10% - F 15% - C 25% - S 25% - I 25%

Originally Posted by Totohydra

Today's adjustment submitted just before noon.
G 10% - F 15% - C 25% - S 25% - I 25%

Welcome Back!!

Looks like a winning adjustment - especially in light of how Markets have responded. Staying in G Fund pretty much guarantees you'll come out making a fortune so I'll help out for at least the next month or so.